Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Seared pork chops with mushroom sauce and roasted veggies

Since it's been colder, the husband has been hankering hearty meaty meals to counter the wintry chill. There was a sale on pork chops at the store that I could not neglect, so we ended up having pork chops with roasted veggies one night. It was a speedy meal that hopped from the stovetop and oven to the table in minutes, which always increases the likelihood that I'll make it again. I never realized how tasty seared pork chops are. I whipped up a mushroom sauce for them, but I think I'll omit the sauce next time and eat the chops plain seared (so yummy!), or perhaps go for a topping of mango salsa instead for a more refreshing kick that would meld well with the veggies.Seared Pork Chops with Mushroom Sauce and Roasted VeggiesIngredients:
Pork Chops
4 tbsp garlic, minced
Sea salt
Shallot pepper
Freshly ground pepper
Dried parsley flakes
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 onion, sliced
1 10 oz pkg button mushrooms, sliced
1 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 tbsp whole wheat flour
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp organic agave nectar
Red potatoes, quartered
Carrots, de-skinned and cut into sticks

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place potatoes and carrots in a single layer on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet. Season with sea salt, shallot pepper, dried parsley flakes, and freshly ground pepper. Bake for 30 minutes until nice and roasted.
2. While veggies are roasting, layer pork chops on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet with aluminum foil. Top with another sheet of aluminum foil and bang pork chops until they are thinned to 1/4" to 1/2." Season both sides of pork chops with sea salt, shallot pepper, and freshly ground pepper.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chops (do not layer them on top of one another). Cook 2-3 minutes until seared before flipping over to cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside.
4. Lower heat to medium and brown garlic in extra virgin olive oil. Add onion and cook until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook with onions until softened, about 2 minutes.
5. While mushrooms and onions are cooking, whisk broth, flour, agave nectar, and worcestershire sauce in a bowl. Add to skillet, and bring to a boil. Let sauce simmer for about 5 minutes before serving it atop pork chops.